[D-FENS]

Originally Posted by DermoLogical

For anyone on the long list, but not on the shortlist, you can keep biting your nails for another few months:

According to the Powers page of Facebook, "the 50 won’t be released until the book is published" in the Autumn.

Bad form that it wasn't made more clear on the Irish Times website, but at least it gives hope that they will actually read them all and pick the best.
I'm not on the longlst so at least the heartache is over for me

By the way, the Long list is back up on the site

http://www.irishtimes.com/blogs/powe...y-competition/

[Miranda7]

Congratulations on getting into the short list. I really think people are taking this very seriously. Entering competitions is a bit of fun and if you win or get short listed it's a bonus. I got into the book last year but not even in the long list this year. Still I'm glad I entered. I didn't realise until today that there was a thread here for it and have only just read some of it. I must log in here more often and maybe hear about more competitions.

[Whelpling]

Shameless plug. More competitions --------> here

[MOONlit]

FYI, I have done a lot of research about the flash fiction story over the last few days and - well, I have had an epiphany.
Irrespective of the longlist debacle and sloppy behaviour of the powers that be, I realise that I totally wrote the wrong story for a flash fiction competition.

In the last week, I checked out winners of various competions in the uk for flash fiction. I learned that the subject matter in a flash story may be daft and senseless, but if it is full of charm ( vry difficult to attain that of course! ) and is beautifully written - or has some other 'je ne sais quoi' in abundence, - thats what turns it into a masterpiece apparently. I believe it because I was reluctantly completely captivated from the very first line, by many of the winning stories there - ie there is a fab one i came across where a woman sees a fish instead of her husband. Perhaps you all know this already as you my have taken creative writing courses - but its an alleluia moment for me.

[Whelpling]

Yeah, flash fic tends to be more like prose poetry, with less of the general 'rules' for short stories being applicable.

[echo beach]

Originally Posted by Whelpling

Yeah, flash fic tends to be more like prose poetry

The winner of the Arena flash fiction competition is a poet and quite a bit of her excellent story could be classed as poetry.
You can hear it on the RTE Radio 1 website on the Arena programme for May 15th, together the judges comments which suggest a process that did stick to the criteria given although he admits it is subjective choice in the end.

[kieslowski]

I guess I'd have heard by now if I'd won this...ah well nice to be shortlisted anyway.

Hi Kieslowski,

I was on the short list too. Also heard nothing. Maybe they are going to do a big reveal in the paper tomorrow. One can always dream.....

[kieslowski]

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/...316639540.html

Well done to her!

[pickarooney]

They got the title right this time at least.

[Chocolate Chip]

I'm very happy she won, a few of those finalists should have won something too. Excellent.

Well done to her.

[Claymore]

Don't mean to be overly critical but for me it is quite a cloying, hackneyed story. A disappointing winner from 4000+ entries. I really thought the winner would be something special. Just my opinion.

[echo beach]

Originally Posted by Claymore

Don't mean to be overly critical but for me it is quite a cloying, hackneyed story.

Sounds more like begrudery than being overly critical.
It wasn't my favourite and I thought it could have done without the last line (wait for the rush of people saying that was the best part!) but still feel it is a deserving winner.

Sorry you didn't pocket the cash kieslowski, but there is always next year and you can have a go at some of the other competitions listed. One of them closes on May 31st so it is time to get working.

[Madammoiselle]

The winner is a fantastic writer. I'm sure she won't be "in between jobs" for much longer. I hope she does well for herself. I guess with qualifications etc behind her it made it easier for her to be better than any of us novices.
This competition spurred me on to be a better writer, It had been over two years since I'd last written anything, I'd never written a short story before and now I'm doing an online creative writing course that I love.
So here's to bigger and better things guys.
This competition opened my eyes to writing again & for that I am grateful.

"Celebrating what truly matters."

[MOONlit]

I think she knew how to tailor a story for the competion which eluded the rest of us. I think she did a great job in picking that style of writing. You can tell that she can do much better than that if the occasion requires it and Im really happy for her cos she has done the hard work preparing for it and seems like a really nice girl with a great smile like the father character in her story.I hope to see her really shine in other more literary competitions. If you check out the winner of the Arena competition on rte, the winner has written with the same style. Personally I wouldnt part with a cent to listen to the Arena winning story again.The 'powers' winning story is beautiful comparing to that one. Theres the thing - how does all this relate to the world of commerce/bread and butter? Or is it world in a vacuum where Creative writing tutors judge these comps and so set the style du jour that is sort of navel gazing or underwhelming to me anyway. Where did the William Trevor short story go?I loved Ms Galvins story although, im ashamed to say i only went beyond the first paragraph, after it won - but the Arena winning story worries me. If thats what its coming to, I think Ill hang up my pencil.